# The CONS of owning a Coolidor...



## tek2advanced (Apr 6, 2012)

Ever since I've built my coolidor, there is absolutely only one reason I don't like this solution. If you live in a warmer climate, you'll find that you will run into a situation where you'll have trouble regulating the temp. inside the cooler. Overtime, the temp inside of this cooler is dependent on the outside temp of the cooler, which means, I have to constantly run my Central A/C throughout the entire day just to keep it within the proper range.

This is definitively something I think everyone should consider, when choosing a Coolidor or Wineador. If I were to do it all over again, I probably would've gone the other route (Wineador). I currently live in Ohio and my monthly electrical bill is $90 with AC constantly running to cool a 800 sq ft studio.. I hope that this post can help other people!


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2012)

There is actually very little reason to worry about temperature if you freeze your cigars, check this thread out http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/cigar-questions/272095-science-behind-freezing.html

Really the only reason temperature is important is because of the rare possibility of cigar beetles hatching if the temperature is over 75. Other than that, your beads can regulate the humidity changes that occur with temperature fluctuations. I am stationed on a very temperate island where air conditioning is not common and the temperature in my house is consistently between 75-80F in the summer and I have had absolutely no problems. Freeze your stash, turn off the AC, and enjoy your coolerdor


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## tek2advanced (Apr 6, 2012)

Pale Horse said:


> There is actually very little reason to worry about temperature if you freeze your cigars, check this thread out http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/cigar-questions/272095-science-behind-freezing.html
> 
> Really the only reason temperature is important is because of the rare possibility of cigar beetles hatching if the temperature is over 75. Other than that, your beads can regulate the humidity changes that occur with temperature fluctuations. I am stationed on a very temperate island where air conditioning is not common and the temperature in my house is consistently between 75-80F in the summer and I have had absolutely no problems. Freeze your stash, enjoy your cooler


I have freezed my cigars.. temperature in my area have been 95+ the past couple weeks, we even hit 104 a couple of times.. I understand that beads can help regulate the humidity, but when seeing my temp spike upwards of 80 deg I have to turn my AC on.. I have decent stash, that I would hate to throw away... =\

You said your temp in your house is between 75-80.. What is the temp inside your coolidor?


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2012)

tek2advanced said:


> I have freezed my cigars.. temperature in my area have been 95+ the past couple weeks, we even hit 104 a couple of times.. I understand that beads can help regulate the humidity, but when seeing my temp spike upwards of 80 deg I have to turn my AC on.. I have decent stash, that I would hate to throw away... =\
> 
> You said your temp in your house is between 75-80.. What is the temp inside your coolidor?


I wouldn't worry about the temperature very much so long as the cigars aren't spontaneously combusting lol. Keep in mind, the tobacco for cigars is stored in barns in much hotter climates while they're curing and again, so even 95F shouldn't be too big of a deal. The temperature in my tupperdor stays with the house, 75-80, because I don't have AC


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## capttrips (Jun 25, 2012)

I posted a similar question a few weeks ago and am now comfortable with my temperature around 72-73. I am currently using 4 X-large bead tubes (65 rH) from Heartfelt. My problem is I can't seem to get the humidity down to where I want it. I'm using the tubes dry because otherwise the humidity would spike to 75 rH. Any suggestions how I can get the humidity lower?


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## tek2advanced (Apr 6, 2012)

capttrips said:


> I posted a similar question a few weeks ago and am now comfortable with my temperature around 72-73. I am currently using 4 X-large bead tubes (65 rH) from Heartfelt. My problem is I can't seem to get the humidity down to where I want it. I'm using the tubes dry because otherwise the humidity would spike to 75 rH. Any suggestions how I can get the humidity lower?


I usually keep my room/cooler temp at 72 or lower. I have 1 pound of Heartfelt 70 rh along with 4 or 5 packets of Boveda's 65 rh and 72 rh and during my setup my systems stays a perfect 70-72 rh (I have three hygrometers set low/mid/high).

Do you have photos of your Coolidor setup? I'm pretty sure that me having alot of Spanish Cedar helped (but then again I've never had to troubleshoot any humidity problems before)


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## tek2advanced (Apr 6, 2012)

Here was my initial setup on my coolidor...

The Mockup:









The Finished:


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

As long as you freeze your cigars, I would not worry about the temp as much as getting the RH down to around 65%'

The only con I see to a coolerdor is the urge to keep stocking it 'til it is full and having to buy another.


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## capttrips (Jun 25, 2012)

Fuzzy said:


> As long as you freeze your cigars, I would not worry about the temp as much as getting the RH down to around 65%'
> 
> The only con I see to a coolerdor is the urge to keep stocking it 'til it is full and having to buy another.


LOL! Exactly! I just bought a 150 qt one and it looked so sad empty I had to fill it up. Now I don't know what to do.


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## yellowv (Dec 24, 2011)

The only con for me is the space it takes up. I am in Florida and I have no problem, but I do run my AC constantly (year round). I would kill for a $90 power bill.


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## smelvis (Sep 7, 2009)

Pale Horse said:


> There is actually very little reason to worry about temperature if you freeze your cigars, check this thread out http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/cigar-questions/272095-science-behind-freezing.html
> 
> Really the only reason temperature is important is because of the rare possibility of cigar beetles hatching if the temperature is over 75. Other than that, your beads can regulate the humidity changes that occur with temperature fluctuations. I am stationed on a very temperate island where air conditioning is not common and the temperature in my house is consistently between 75-80F in the summer and I have had absolutely no problems. Freeze your stash, turn off the AC, and enjoy your coolerdor


I had a friend who thought this and he found a lot of mold he was using KL I am not sure but think beads would have helped him.


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## The Counselor (Jun 19, 2012)

Are the cigar jars any good?


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## The Counselor (Jun 19, 2012)

yellowv said:


> The only con for me is the space it takes up. I am in Florida and I have no problem, but I do run my AC constantly (year round). I would kill for a $90 power bill.


Yeah I live in Texas and the temperature is usually always in the 90's and 100 plus. I would be ecstatic to have my electric bill at $90.


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## tek2advanced (Apr 6, 2012)

smelvis said:


> I had a friend who thought this and he found a lot of mold he was using KL I am not sure but think beads would have helped him.


I'm no engineer but I have to imagine that a hotter environment is more likely to help mold growth..


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## tek2advanced (Apr 6, 2012)

capttrips said:


> LOL! Exactly! I just bought a 150 qt one and it looked so sad empty I had to fill it up. Now I don't know what to do.


It's only been 4-5 months since I had my coolidor and it's filled.... =( What to do, what to do?


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## tek2advanced (Apr 6, 2012)

The Counselor said:


> Yeah I live in Texas and the temperature is usually always in the 90's and 100 plus. I would be ecstatic to have my electric bill at $90.


Do keep in mind that my living area is >800 sq ft and my electricity bill is usually either half the cost or less when my AC is off..

Once I buy my new car this summer, I'm going to buy this little high tech gadget afterwards.. It's called Nest... Very pricey but I figure it can be a good investment overtime...


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## hogjaw (Jun 14, 2012)

Me too, mine was $375 plus change - ridiculous that utility bills are so high for summer.

Thinking about opening lid a tad and letting mine get a drink from the a/c vent for a few.



The Counselor said:


> Yeah I live in Texas and the temperature is usually always in the 90's and 100 plus. I would be ecstatic to have my electric bill at $90.


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## tek2advanced (Apr 6, 2012)

hogjaw said:


> Me too, mine was $375 plus change - ridiculous that utility bills are so high for summer.
> 
> Thinking about opening lid a tad and letting mine get a drink from the a/c vent for a few.


You folks must also live in a 2,800< sq ft house too.. =)


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## Johnnie (Aug 28, 2011)

I keep most of my stash in a coat closet since I don't have ac. The door isn't opened and closed often so it usually stays 5-10 degrees cooler than the rest of my house.


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## AgentJuggernaut (Apr 12, 2011)

tek2advanced said:


> Do keep in mind that my living area is >800 sq ft and my electricity bill is usually either half the cost or less when my AC is off..
> 
> Once I buy my new car this summer, I'm going to buy this little high tech gadget afterwards.. It's called Nest... Very pricey but I figure it can be a good investment overtime...


Just don't ask for me if you have a problem with it.


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## kra961 (May 16, 2012)

Fuzzy said:


> As long as you freeze your cigars, I would not worry about the temp as much as getting the RH down to around 65%'
> 
> The only con I see to a coolerdor is the urge to keep stocking it 'til it is full and having to buy another.


Lol oh so true, on my second 150 now, thank God I have an understanding lady


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## tek2advanced (Apr 6, 2012)

AgentJuggernaut said:


> Just don't ask for me if you have a problem with it.


Lols and why would I ask you Thomas? Do you work for them or something?


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## Sarge (Nov 21, 2010)

I think people are too dam sensitive these days. I mean it's ideal aging numbers, not mandatory. Kind of like shipping, it's unavoidable that cigars will be shipped in the blistering heat. Think it's cold down in Nicaragua, the Dominican, Honduras, Cuba. they didn't have all these luxuries way back when and cigars smoked fine. Granted, as pointed out, if you freeze your cigars there's really nothing to worry about. My only concern w/ warmer temps would be an outbreak. Also anything over 80-90 degrees long term I might have an issue with but I really wouldn't sweat the warmer Summer temps if my humi started to get above 70. IF anything I'd think the heat is only helping to age the cigars. not to mention as much as I love my wineador I can list any number of gripes I have with it as well. just my :2


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## jmj_203 (Mar 16, 2011)

I tend to agree people put too much emphasis and worry too much about slightly elevated temps. If your incoming packages are frozen before introduction into your stash, and all of your existing stash was frozen, I wouldn't worry much about 75 to 80°F ambient temps. Now if you are in 100+ area, I would use AC to keep it like 80 or so, but don't blast your AC just to keep your humi dead-nutz at 72 or lower. I would worry about mold slightly more, but keeping your Humidity at 65 ± a few rh should be good. Definitely go for 65 as 70 in my opinion is more on the verge of allowing mold growth.


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## hogjaw (Jun 14, 2012)

I agree on the cons J.

However, the only con that currently affecting me is having to store the excesse litter in empty Folgers cans, marked Kitty Litter.

I love the coolidor, KL, and DW. Just got to say all this is new to me. Therefore I did like recommended and put 2 containers of dry and waited 3 days. opened it bammmmmm rh 62. Added ounce of DWto only 1 container and raised to 63. Prefer 65 to 70 ' cause I love to chew on the head, then whack off later and restart.

I'm about like a kid of Christmas time.

Man, if I had a couple of boxes of CC's I would be on a big jump up run arms swinging venture showing my job.

Anyway, thanks for all the information that has been given, archived, and is available for us that are slow to get with the current flow of things.

Best regards all - have a great week.

PS - do have a con. wooden rack are two wide to slide in my 48qt to be used as shelves. I guess I could turn them 90 deg and would work. So, I just stack, unstack, stack, etc. you know the procedure.



jmj_203 said:


> I tend to agree people put too much emphasis and worry too much about slightly elevated temps. If your incoming packages are frozen before introduction into your stash, and all of your existing stash was frozen, I wouldn't worry much about 75 to 80°F ambient temps. Now if you are in 100+ area, I would use AC to keep it like 80 or so, but don't blast your AC just to keep your humi dead-nutz at 72 or lower. I would worry about mold slightly more, but keeping your Humidity at 65 ± a few rh should be good. Definitely go for 65 as 70 in my opinion is more on the verge of allowing mold growth.


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## smelvis (Sep 7, 2009)

I am not going to argue or get into a discussion when so many have their minds made up, I will say I sure hope people who think higher temps don't matter will pay for it, or if they sell their cigars those they sell them to will.

Anyway good luck I sure wish we knew it all to. ROTFLMAO


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

jmj_203 said:


> I tend to agree people put too much emphasis and worry too much about slightly elevated temps. If your incoming packages are frozen before introduction into your stash, and all of your existing stash was frozen, I wouldn't worry much about 75 to 80°F ambient temps.


I would not trust that the cigars are frozen, because you don't know if they have been sitting next to unfrozen product along the way. I freeze everything so I know for certain of what my cigars have been through. I agree with you on it not being a huge deal once freezing is done, just from all the info I have read. I do not have any imperical evidence to support it, and am just going with the current trends.



smelvis said:


> I am not going to argue or get into a discussion when so many have their minds made up, I will say I sure hope people who think higher temps don't matter will pay for it, or if they sell their cigars those they sell them to will.
> 
> Anyway good luck I sure wish we knew it all to. ROTFLMAO


Care to elaborate? Do they store cigars in cigar producing countries at a steady 65, or 70 or do they fluctuate throughout the natural environment? If they are making several hundred thousand a day, my guess is they have a giant storage facility that is not accurately temperature controlled. Same goes with where you purchase your cigars from. Do we know that online retailers (NC or CC) temperature control the environment as analy as we do? I doubt it. What is a negative side effect of just temperature? Faster maturation? The raw goods grow in warm climates and are made in warm climates so why should their proper storage be so much different? I have no info to support any stance, just curious.


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## Shemp75 (May 26, 2012)

opcorn:


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## smelvis (Sep 7, 2009)

Cigar Noob said:


> Care to elaborate?


Nope


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

My cigars have survived looooong power outages due to two hurricanes.
(Katrina 3 weeks - Gustav 9 days) I don't worry about temperature.


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## tek2advanced (Apr 6, 2012)

No offense to anyone else, but I like this answer.. lols



smelvis said:


> Nope





Cigar Noob said:


> I would not trust that the cigars are frozen, because you don't know if they have been sitting next to unfrozen product along the way. I freeze everything so I know for certain of what my cigars have been through. I agree with you on it not being a huge deal once freezing is done, just from all the info I have read. I do not have any imperical evidence to support it, and am just going with the current trends.
> 
> Care to elaborate? Do they store cigars in cigar producing countries at a steady 65, or 70 or do they fluctuate throughout the natural environment? If they are making several hundred thousand a day, my guess is they have a giant storage facility that is not accurately temperature controlled. Same goes with where you purchase your cigars from. Do we know that online retailers (NC or CC) temperature control the environment as analy as we do? I doubt it. What is a negative side effect of just temperature? Faster maturation? The raw goods grow in warm climates and are made in warm climates so why should their proper storage be so much different? I have no info to support any stance, just curious.


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## Jordan23 (May 25, 2012)

I just freeze my sticks and I dont worry about it. In my house at the hottest parts of the summer, my humi can creep up to around 82 or so.


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

smelvis said:


> Nope


Why even respond at all then? Just ignore the request to help out a few of us newer people that probably have never read anything that says temperature alone causes anything negative to cigars. Since you stated you know otherwise, I figured it was a good chance to learn something. Guess not....


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## smelvis (Sep 7, 2009)

Cigar Noob said:


> Why even respond at all then? Just ignore the request to help out a few of us newer people that probably have never read anything that says temperature alone causes anything negative to cigars. Since you stated you know otherwise, I figured it was a good chance to learn something. Guess not....


Sorry sometimes it's best for me to keep my answers short, by the way most were answering it would probably turn into an argument and I am just not up to that. I did explain in PM to the OP.


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

Yo comprendo. Don't be so hard on yourself. I know I posted a ton of questions in the first post and don't want it to seem like a challenge, just a lot of questions I have no idea how to answer. Be good big guy.


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## Quietville (Sep 12, 2011)

My take on things is that you have to realize that you can't, nor should you have to, control everything. If your temp goes above 80 for a little while, oh well. If you get a little mold on your cigars, wipe it off, oh well. You have to roll with the punches, especially with the drought and abnormally high temperatures we're experiencing in the midwest. My cigars accidentally got into the mid-eighty range. They're fine. Would I have preferred them to not experience that kind of temp swing, sure. However, it happened, and that's that.


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## tek2advanced (Apr 6, 2012)

Quietville said:


> My take on things is that you have to realize that you can't, nor should you have to, control everything. If your temp goes above 80 for a little while, oh well. If you get a little mold on your cigars, wipe it off, oh well. You have to roll with the punches, especially with the drought and abnormally high temperatures we're experiencing in the midwest. My cigars accidentally got into the mid-eighty range. They're fine. Would I have preferred them to not experience that kind of temp swing, sure. However, it happened, and that's that.


But the truth of the matter is that I can control my Temp/RH, and will... Any RH under 70 is fine with me, once the 72% bovedas dries out, it should stay under 70%rh.. I'm not sure about you guys, but I like sleeping in the same temp as my cigars which is below 72 degs. At night, my thermostat are set to 69 degs, hell I even have some cigars that I turn 180 degs next to each other in hopes that they'll duplicate themselves (Baby Sharks to be exact).. I haven't had any success with that, maybe I'll try and take off the cello and next the bands and try another breeding method.. =P

Again, these are ranges that I'm comfortable with, they may not coincide with what you're comfortable with.. I also, like smelvis don't want to get into a convo or argument about ideal temp ranges vs mold vs beetles.. This is just to give a head's up to others living in hot climate and are thinking about owning a coolidor. If they have similar temp ranges, I hope that this post will give them a heads up...


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